DAY FIVE -  28TH  AUGUST --AUCKLAND TO OPONONI

Excited today as we were getting the car (a lovely Rav 4.....enough for all our cases!). Packed up ( and after several days in the one place took a while).

The coffee over here us really good so our first stop was coffee. 

The countryside is so green and we drove through beautiful farming land where sheep, cows and even turkeys were in abundance. Next stop was the Kauri museum which had some amazing displays. I loved wandering through the various displays. The Kauri gum is very valuable, a small pair of drop earrings over $100, so you can only imagine the worth of some of the pieces in the display.

Lots of furniture on display, beautiful old pieces.

Lots of pieces from days gone past.

Loved these displays of activities of bygone times! The mannequins were all made by a local and are modeled on real descendants of local historical figures.

These displays of the fallen trees and the activities of the timber cutters and processors of the past were well represented.

Outside the museum was an historical churchyard and the views from here were lovely. there were modern graves but the older I noticed were from the 1800"s

A bakery for lunch.....

Into the Kauri forest through a very windy, narrow forest lined road. Unfortunately the walks to see the bi trees were closed. Two ladies who were closing the walks for the day were really friendly and Henry asked one if she would mind telling him about her chin tattoo. she was proud to tell him and they gave us a Maori farewell as we drove on.

Opononi ......our night stop......A nice room, hot shower and then dinner of fish'n'chips! People are so welcoming and eager to please .

Hard to notice in the photo but wearing some pretty red earrings Henry bought me.